Once in early spring Tep/I went to visit Metta Forest Monastery, founded in 1990 by Ajahn Suwat Suvaco. The monastery is situated at the end of a road in an avocado orchard surrounded by the mountains and chaparral of northern San Diego County.

At dawn we had to drive way up on top of the mountain, the path was so dangerous, needed good car with good break. But when we reached the top, it was so beautiful,the temple was surrounded with white clouds, Avocado trees everywhere so beautiful. Upasakas/upasikas there welcomed us nicely with hot cups of coffee,they said that The famous thera Thanissaro wasn't there(went to India), there were 3 US monks and 5 Thai monks that day.

Later we were so surprised to see many people came up to give foods/desserts to monks who came out of the vihara with alms-bowls.A DELTA AIRLINE american pilot/Thai wife stood next to me, offered to give me some food to give to monks. His wife loved my mink coat so I let her wear it for a while,quite cold in early spring on the mountain!

After the monks finished eating/blessing us, we all enjoyed our pot-luck party near the vihara. They talked about building new places for monks, new food hall,new kitchen and road constructions, so I told my new friends the Dhammapada story of Princess Rohini who sold her jewelry to build monks'food hall/places and then invited the Buddha and his disciples to have great food there..and she also had done great deeds/merits all her life..after she died she was reborn as the most beautiful angel/consort of Sakka in the Tavatimsa deva world, all because of her great deeds/merits!!! My new friends loved my story, so we all donated money willingly for these new temple's projects, I bet all ladies there would love to be reborn as beautiful angels!!.

I couldn't believe that people here loved/saddha the temple so much to drive up the bad roads to the top of the mountain every weekend!!! It would be so hard to drive up there in the rainy seasond. May be that's why they need a new temple kitchen!*****Love the temple in the clouds,yawares /the story teller

I heard that a lot of the avocado trees were damaged in the big storm a couple of years ago and also the big fire came very near the monastery. The monks were going to evacuate, but they also chanted the Mora Paritta (Peacock's Protection) and then suddenly the wind changed and the monastery did not burn down.